Action Over Gun Violence
There are common sense applications that can serve the collective and community good and prevent the murder of children, suicides and death from domestic violence. We know that no single policy alone can eliminate gun violence. However, research shows that states that enact a variety of rules that make it tougher to buy and use guns, and that limit the types of weapons available to the public and the ways that they are sold, can go a long way to promote gun safety and decrease the amount of gun violence.
I have studied violence for decades through intervention work and as a violence preventionist. Here is my menu of gun safety measures:
Institute universal background checks
Include a waiting period of a minimum of 2 weeks to purchase a firearm
Institute a minimum purchase age of 21
Require gun safety training and require the passing of a safety test
Require licenses, permits and registrations, like with automobiles
Restrict amount of guns available for purchase and the amount of ammunition
Prohibit sales or ownership to people with felonies, and consider adding misdemeanors
Prohibit sales to accused domestic violence and stalking offenders, close the boyfriend loophole, and confiscate guns if they don’t comply
Restrict sales and ownership to those with mental health issues
Limit the amount of guns and ammunition purchased at one time and within an extended period
Require safe storage and training on what that entails to keep guns safe at home
Red flag: remove guns from those going through mental health crises, pay attention to the red flags and threats to do harm to self or others
Limit and restrict open carry
Restrict gun manufacturers from marketing to children under 21 like we do for smoking
Prohibit sales of military style assault weapons (with their ultra lethal magazines and bullets and firepower) to civilians; do not allow vets to keep their assault weapons
Encourage gun safety education and communication amongst everyone, not just gun owners. If your kid is having a playdate with a friend, you may want to know if there is a gun in the house and if it is safely stored
Allow individuals the ability to sue gun manufacturers
Promote gun buyback campaigns and turn in your guns opportunities
Fund gun violence research
Fund violence prevention education in schools
These common sense changes will go along way to save lives from suicides, homicides, domestic violence murders and mass shootings.
There is a lot to be done on other fronts that will address the roots of violence, like supporting violence prevention and healthy relationship programming in school, more school counselors to support mental health of kids, improved mental health treatment and accessibility, and the list goes on. The roots of violence in the United States go deep but we shouldn’t be put off by the complexity of human and cultural behaviors.
The remedies are no secret, they have been recommended for years. There are those who won’t want to support added restrictions….under any circumstances. But I believe a majority of Americans will. At some point we have to ask if our individual so-called right to own a gun with no restrictions is adding to the risk of children dying. More children die in the US from gun violence than any other reason.
It’s way overtime for the majority of Americans to support safe and smart gun protections. NOW IS THE TIME! Polls show that most responsible gun enthusiasts and gun owners support common sense gun safety. The door is open, let’s walk through it to benefit the collective good.
It’s time to take Action Over Violence.
I wrote this to honor the grief and trauma and heartbreak that the families of the victims in Buffalo and Uvalde and Laguna Woods and others are experiencing as they go through the memorials and funerals of their loved ones.
